JetBlue will launch nonstop JFK-Cartagena service November 2nd, subject to government approval. Flights are Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday. Leave JFK 825am, arrive 110pm. Depart Cartagena 205, arrive back at 730. This is JetBlue’s second Colombian destination – they already fly to Bogota. Cartagena is one of my favorite cities – beautiful, historic and vibrant. It’s been a royal pain to get there from New York until now. Fares haven’t been announced yet, but I’ll guess, oh, $199 each way.

Spirit Airlines will expand its Dallas operation and add flights to Houston Intercontinental, Baltimore, Oakland, Las Vegas and Portland. They’ve also filed to fly to Cancun from DFW. Baltimore and Houston launch in September, the other 3 cities don’t come until April 2013. If those cities seem familiar, it’s because they’re also Southwest strongholds. Dallas – Houston seems like a wacky choice, but Spirit has seemingly had success flying Detroit-Chicago and Vegas – LAX. Southwest can’t fly nonstop from Dallas Love to Baltimore, Portland, Oakland or Vegas, but Spirit may attract some of those price-conscious travelers looking to head there. Spirit also has no problem killing routes quickly, so even if one (all?) doesn’t work, they’ll drop it rather than invest in it. An interesting move from Spirit, since they seem to feel they’re just about tapped out on markets from FLL to the Caribbean.